Sporting JAX vs Tampa Bay Rowdies Prediction: Key Stats and Betting Tips

Sporting JAX welcome Tampa Bay Rowdies to Hodges Stadium on 6 June 2026 in a USL League One Cup Group Stage clash that already feels pivotal in Group 7. The Jacksonville side are trying to keep their knockout hopes alive, while the visitors arrive as early group leaders and one of the form sides in the competition.

In Group 7, Sporting JAX sit 3rd with 4 points from 3 matches, having scored 4 and conceded 5. They have shown flashes of promise but also inconsistency, reflected in a league form line of “LWL”. Tampa Bay Rowdies, by contrast, top the group with 6 points from 2 games, boasting 6 goals for and only 1 against, and a perfect “WW” record. For Sporting JAX, this home date at Hodges Stadium is about survival in the group; for Tampa Bay, it is a chance to tighten their grip on a playoffs position.

Sporting JAX vs Tampa Bay Rowdies Key Stats

• Sporting JAX are 3rd in Group 7 with 4 points from 3 games (4 scored, 5 conceded), while Tampa Bay Rowdies lead the group with 6 points from 2 matches (6 scored, 1 conceded).
• Tampa Bay Rowdies have won both previous meetings in 2026, including a 1-0 away victory at Hodges Stadium in USL Championship.
• Rowdies are averaging 3.0 goals per game in this USL League One Cup campaign, while Sporting JAX are at 1.0 goals per game with 1 clean sheet from 3 fixtures.

Sporting JAX vs Tampa Bay Rowdies — Tale of the Tape

• Position: 3 vs 1
• Points: 4 vs 6
• Goals For: 4 vs 6
• Goals Against: 5 vs 1
• Clean Sheets: Sporting JAX 1 vs Tampa Bay Rowdies 1

The standings underline the contrast between these sides. Sporting JAX have taken 4 points from their 3 group fixtures, winning once, drawing once and losing twice. Their goal difference of -1 (4 scored, 5 conceded) highlights a team that is competitive but not yet fully convincing at either end. At home in this competition they have played once and lost 1-0, failing to score.

Tampa Bay Rowdies, meanwhile, have been close to flawless. Two wins from two, 6 goals scored and just 1 conceded, plus a goal difference of +5, justify their 1st place and “Playoffs” designation in Group 7. They have won both at home (2-0) and away (4-1), showing they can impose themselves in any venue. With a perfect “WW” league form and a strong attacking average of 3.0 goals per match, they arrive as clear group favourites.

Sporting JAX vs Tampa Bay Rowdies Key Matchups

Sporting JAX attack vs Tampa Bay Rowdies defence

Sporting JAX’s offensive output in the USL League One Cup sits at 4 goals from 3 matches, an average of 1.0 per game. They have failed to score in their only home fixture so far, but have been more productive away with 3 goals in 2 matches. Their last-five metrics show 3 goals scored and 3 conceded across 3 games, reinforcing the idea of a side that can create chances but lacks consistency in the final third.

They face a Rowdies defence that has conceded only 1 goal in 2 group matches, with an average of 0.5 goals against per game. Tampa Bay have already kept one clean sheet and have yet to lose in this competition. Across their last two fixtures they have allowed just a single goal, and in league play the only strike they conceded came late in the match window between minutes 76-90. Breaking them down will require Sporting JAX to be efficient in the limited openings they are likely to get.

Midfield control: Sporting JAX structure vs Rowdies creativity

Sporting JAX’s overall form profile shows a “33%” last-five form with attacking output at “20%” and defensive at “80%”, suggesting they have relied more on organisation and resistance than on expansive play. Their goals for are spread relatively evenly across the first half and late stages, with strikes in the 16-30, 31-45 and 76-90 minute ranges, but there is a notable lull between 46-75 minutes where they have yet to score.

Tampa Bay’s midfield and attacking lines, by contrast, underpin a “100%” last-five form with attacking rated at “40%” and defensive at “93%”. They have scored in multiple phases of games — early (0-15), late first half (31-45) and immediately after the break (46-60) — illustrating a side that can seize control at different moments. Their ability to sustain pressure through the middle third of matches could tilt the midfield battle in their favour, especially against a Sporting JAX side that tends to concede early (0-15) and late (76-90).

Head-to-Head: Last Meetings

Recent history between Sporting JAX and Tampa Bay Rowdies is limited but one-sided. The sides have met twice in 2026 across league and friendly action, and Rowdies have emerged victorious on both occasions, without conceding a goal. This small but clear pattern gives the visitors a psychological edge heading into Hodges Stadium.

• 4 April 2026: Sporting JAX 0-1 Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL Championship)
• 28 February 2026: Tampa Bay Rowdies 1-0 Sporting JAX (Friendlies Clubs)

Sporting JAX vs Tampa Bay Rowdies Prediction

All the indicators point towards Tampa Bay Rowdies having the upper hand. Their Group 7 record is perfect, they have scored three times as many goals per game as Sporting JAX, and they have already beaten this opponent twice in 2026, including once at Hodges Stadium. The comparative metrics heavily favour the visitors: overall comparison numbers give Rowdies close to 70% of the edge, and the head-to-head and goals comparisons are entirely in their favour.

Sporting JAX will look to tighten up at the back and make this a cagey contest, especially given that half of their goals conceded have come very early or very late in matches. However, with Tampa Bay’s attack averaging 3.0 goals per game and their last-five defensive rating extremely high, it is hard to see the group leaders being shut out. The prediction percentages split evenly between draw and away win, but with Rowdies named as the likely winners, the lean is firmly towards the visitors grinding out another result, probably in a relatively low-scoring encounter.

Predicted Score: Sporting JAX 0-1 Tampa Bay Rowdies

Sporting JAX League Form

LWL

Tampa Bay Rowdies League Form

WW

Sporting JAX Possible Starting Lineup

J. McGuire; W. Ackwei, E. Dudley, R. Edwards, H. Neville; J. Evans, J. Rossiter, T. Roberts; K. Sadlier, Emil Jaaskelainen, A. Reid.

Sporting JAX have a reasonably balanced squad, with experience at the back in players like R. Edwards and W. Ackwei, and a mix of youth and experience in midfield and attack through the likes of J. Evans, J. Rossiter, Emil Jaaskelainen and K. Sadlier. Without detailed appearance or form data for individuals, the likely approach is a compact structure aiming to stay in the game and exploit moments in transition, especially given their modest scoring rate and the strength of the opposition attack.

Tampa Bay Rowdies Possible Starting Lineup

J. Waite; Y. Leerman, L. Wyke, C. Ostrem, B. Schaefer; L. Hilton, Mattheus Oliveira, Pedro Becker; R. Cicerone, E. Conway, G. Vivi.

Tampa Bay Rowdies have depth across all lines, with multiple options in defence and a creative, goal-threatening set of midfielders and forwards. Players such as L. Hilton and Mattheus Oliveira offer control in the middle of the park, while attackers like R. Cicerone, E. Conway and G. Vivi provide variety in the final third. Their recent scoring record in this competition suggests an aggressive but controlled setup, capable of rotating between possession play and direct attacking transitions.

Sporting JAX Team News

No significant absences reported.

Tampa Bay Rowdies Team News

No significant absences reported.

Injuries & Suspensions

Sporting JAX:

• None reported.

Tampa Bay Rowdies:

• None reported.

Betting Tips: Sporting JAX vs Tampa Bay Rowdies

Exactly 3 distinct tips from different markets:

• Result Tip: Back Tampa Bay Rowdies in the match result market. Their perfect “WW” group form, +5 goal difference and two H2H wins in 2026, combined with a prediction split of 50% away win versus 0% home win, strongly favour the visitors.
• Goals Tip: Under 2.5 goals appeals. Sporting JAX average just 1.0 goal for and 1.0 against per game in this competition, while both previous meetings in 2026 finished 1-0. Rowdies are strong defensively, so a tight, low-scoring contest is likely.
• Value Tip: Tampa Bay Rowdies to win to nil has value. Sporting JAX failed to score in their only home group game and have been shut out in both H2H clashes this year, while Rowdies have conceded only once in two group matches and already have one clean sheet.

How to Watch Sporting JAX vs Tampa Bay Rowdies

Broadcast coverage varies by region. General guide:

• Spain: Movistar LaLiga
• UK: Premier Sports
• Australia: beIN Sports
• India: FanCode
• MENA: beIN Sports
• South America: ESPN / Disney+
• Africa: SuperSport

Odds are accurate at the time of writing and subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.